Category: Ernest Pike

Two Ernest Pike Christmas songs here, in all its YouTubey goodness – how seasonally appropriate. Well, it’s credited to The Minster Choir, perhaps including Ernest Pike? No idea, but it was recorded on July 7th, 1917 – right in the middle of summer during World War I. Never say HMV didn’t plan ahead… Thanks to YouTube user Otterhouse for uploading it.

More Ernie Pike has come to light in my never-ending quest to fill my life with sentimental Edwardian-era music.

Actually, this is possibly of interest to scholars, this time, as it’s one of the earliest recordings of The Mikado, from 1906. The notorious stage piracy of the time (and I don’t mean The Pirates Of Penzance) meant that G&S were very careful with their productions, sometimes opening both British and American productions on the same night to stop rival companies opening on the same day. Richard D’Oyly Carte, the organiser of their opera company, was keenly aware of this, and refused to release the scores for these recordings, so the orchestral arrangements are somewhat different to the D’Oyly Carte productions, and therefore are deprecated by scholars. Which is a shame, but it’s glorious to hear Pike (even if only as one of the chorus) with frequent collaborator Peter Dawson, singing something you still see performed today. (By the way, don’t be fooled that only one of the titles is linked – click on the gramophone horns).